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The Sugar Hollow Murder

William Rice, 14, was going fishing on Memorial Day 1945. But the body of Chick Randall lay in the way - shot to death. Police Chief Fred Swanson knew Randall and had to break the news to Randall’s
widow. Randall had a boat concession on the lake. Florence Randall told the chief that Chick was away buying a boat - but it didn’t make sense he took a busy holiday off from his boat rental service.

A witness who actually heard the
deadly shots mentioned that an area man, Jim Guthrie, may have had
a boat for sale. The
police soon discovered Guthrie was not at work on the day of the
murder - but then discovered he had an alibi - he was sick at home
in the Philadelphia area.

Then the name of a Loyalville man,
Kenneth Farrell, turned up - a frequent visitor to the Randall home
and thought to be too close to Mrs. Randall. And Randall was
seen leaving his home the morning of Memorial Day followed by a second
car.

Farrell was brought in for questioning;
a gun was found at a relative’s
house. His car was identified as the one at the Randall house
the day of the murder. In the end Farrell confessed. He lured
Chuck Randall from his home on the pretext boats were for sale at
Sugar Hollow.

Farrell killed Randall and later
confessed to Randall’s wife. Farrell
was found guilty of murder - life imprisonment. Mrs.Randall,
charged as an accessory after the fact, testified for the prosecution
and hercharges were later dismissed.

In 1946 Crime Detective Magazine
published an account of the crime for its April edition.